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Black Yak Here to Say

BY DAVIDE FIORASO

The European outdoor market welcomes the new BlackYak brand, already a topic of conversation between retailers and designers of the Alpine scene. After only one season, Black Yak has established itself in this difficult sector, convincing many consumers for its uniqueness. Launching in the Western market has been a bold step for a South Korean brand and it’s no wonder nobody has ever done it before.

Six years ago, as a leader in the Asian market, he had already dared a first attempt. Managing Director Maximilian Nortz called it a test balloon. “At the time, Black Yak presented his collection at ISPO Munich, everyone was enthusiastic, but nobody seemed to want to buy anything” – says Maximilian with a smile. There were different reasons: wild styles with six or eight different colors per item but above all a difference between Asian and European fitting.

“At this point the Korean management could take two paths: try an ad-hoc collection or abandon the planned expansion in the West “- explains Maximilian.The outcome of this decision is today visible in Munich centre. BlackYak jackets and major sporting retailers such as Globetrotter and Keller Sports display them in shop windows and online stores.

Maximilian Nortz gives some details of his early days: “I had the opportunity to completely rebuild a brand that was already a leader on another continent, and I could do it from scratch, a sensational and extremely exciting opportunity”. Gradually, this development has been transformed into a vision: to create innovative and highly technical garments for extreme alpinists and urban fashion lovers, without ever seeming out of place. Over time, the BlackYak family has grown in Europe and Maximilian now works with ten colleagues around. “To implement the vision of BlackYak Europe, we have hired the best product developers: the name of the Swiss company that follows us is also our motto: Development Never Stops”.

David Randall, a renowned designer in the sports industry, is responsible for the BlackYak European styling. He was the first Maximilian’s colleague, obviously for a good reason. “It was a great challenge, but also a unique opportunity for my career” – says David. Today, designers of great producers look to BlackYak trying to understand what trends will be in vogue the next season. But they certainly can’t copy the design: the stitching and the jackets style or trousers recall the shape of a yak. The same theme can be traced back to branding, developed in a very low-key way. Even today we can recognize apparently invisible details that make it unique.

Talking about distinctive solutions, one of the keys to success was the close collaboration with the world’s leading fabric suppliers. The collaboration with W. L. Gore & Associates, for example, began in 1994 and today BlackYak is one of the top five customers in the world. The innovative products of BlackYak have received in the last two years a record of 14 ISPO Awards. The goal is to increase these successes so that BlackYak can finally be seen in all European cities.

FIVE QUESTIONS TO MAXIMILIAN NORTZ

The European outdoor market is notoriously vast and saturated. Why should someone buy your product?

There are many reasons. We’ve almost spent two years working on each collections. The development took place in Europe, engineered in Switzerland and designed at our headquarters in Munich. Now we are very proud of the result. The garments are super technical and highly fashionable. Our collection allows you to climb mountains of over 8,000 meters and at the same time to have an extraordinary look in the city.

In the market there are many well-known brands that are doing a great job, what makes BlackYak different?

We are a very young team of mountain enthusiasts and still quite small in Europe. Here, we are authorized to realize our dream: to create the best and most stylish garments on the outdoor market. Flat hierarchies and a large pool of ideas from all our staff lead to unique collections. You will see different styles, bold colors, new technical solutions and an incomparable style in all BlackYak garments.

Which is your favorite product of the collection?

I love the Hybrid Jacket. It is full of innovation, new technologies and filled with three different materials. It represents a very particular style with our mesh pockets on the front. I use this jacket when I go hiking, on my bike and in the city. I used to combine it with workwear when I go to the office. It’s amazing how many positive feedback I get when I wear this jacket.

Is BlackYak’s success on the global market closely connected with Maximilian North?

I’m a sports fan and I’ve always been part in sports industry. After working for the Sport Scheck in Munich, I was marketing and sponsorship director at the Munich Exhibition Center for five years. In 2014 I had the great opportunity to join BlackYak for the campaign to enter into the European market. I started as Global Marketing Director but in a few months I was appointed International General Manager. It was a unique opportunity to build a brand from scratch and I am incredibly excited by the way it was developed.

Where do you see BlackYak in five years?

I hope on all outdoor enthusiasts! Seriously, we will try to continue working on us as a team and on our collections. We must reflect hard on every product and try to improve ourselves. There is no time to look back, relax and be satisfied for the prizes won. Our goal is to enter in new countries.

BLACKYAK – THE STORY

Tae Sun Kang has always been a passionate mountain climber. His biggest goal was to reach an 8,000. At the beginning of the 1960s, at the Cho Oyo base camp (8,200 m), he realized that the Western mountaineers were incredibly well equipped and it would have been difficult to reach the summit with his equipment. He had to stop that adventure and plan a new mission. Back home, he decided to join the mountain sports field, opening a first store in the Gangnam district of Seoul. This happened in 1973, when in his country there was an evident lack of equipment suitable for extreme hikes. He had seen this market niche.

The current name, BlackYak, was recorded in 1996 and was born during another adventure on Cho Oyo. On the way to Camp 1, Kang was hit by a bad weather front. The wind, fog and snow reduced visibility to less than three meters. Without navigation systems to help, he was stuck for hours in the bitter cold with the possibility of dying. Suddenly a black dot appeared on the horizon. Kang began to move toward that point until he realized it was a yak. Following him, he safely returned him to the base camp. It was the day when BlackYak was born.

In the 1990s, Kang continued to expand BlackYak step by step. In 1998 the company got in into the Chinese market with the opening of its first store in Beijing. Now the brand has 195 stores in China, of which 100 are flagship stores. There is also a special shop in the original yak habitat in Kathmandu, Nepal. The penetration of the domestic market has instead reached an advanced stage: currently there are 337 points of sale, mostly managed by franchises, which sell only the BlackYak label.

To prepare for its global expansion, the company has chosen Europe as a starting point. After a first test at ISPO Munich 2012, the brand started global distribution in the old continent in 2016. But Europe is only the first step. BlackYak is already present in 120 stores in the United States, Canada, Russia and even in Japan, does not have its own production facilities, but it works with external partners in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. To meet European quality standards, the company decided to buy clothing from high-end manufacturers such as KTC, a Chinese manufacturer with Austrian roots.

“I had the opportunity to completely rebuild a brand that was already a leader on another continent, and I could do it from scratch, a sensational and extremely exciting opportunity”

“Our collection allows you to climb mountains of 8,000 meters and at the same time to have an extraordinary look in the city.”

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